Desaru Adventures

Tired of luxuriously appointed hotel rooms? Fed up of the predictable food items at the buffet line? Game to try something perhaps a little bit more challenging than fitting room stakeout (read: shopping)? Then you may want to check out Desaru Adventures, a travel and tour firm based in Bandar Penawar, Johor. Please be informed though that this is not your Reliance or Sri Sutera type of tour agency: Desaru Adventures focuses on attraction sites in and around the Bandar Penawar town and Kota Tinggi district, with an emphasis on the outdoors. So you'll get to visit Crocodile Park, Desaru Fruit Farm, Ostrich Farm and if history and mythical folklore are up your alley, you can visit Makam Sultan Mahmud Mangkat Dijulang, Kota Johor Lama and Pusara Si Bongkok.

One of the proprietors' personal favourites is the kampung tour where participants can have a taste of authentic kampung way of living. I will not disclose here what this entails but apparently it is very popular not only among foreigners, our city boys and girls also enjoy it tremendously.

Another of their pride itinerary is the Bukit Pelali climb, which was described to me as more fun and adventurous than Bukit Broga in Semenyih. With the height of about 400-plus metres, they will lead the hike up from base to the peak which will take around two hours, with comfort breaks in between so you can catch a breath but I suspect this is more to cater to Facebook posties. When you reach the top, you will be rewarded with nasi bungkus, accompanied by dishes that you have not heard of or seen in a long time. But more importantly, the vista which extends to... I think I should not give away more than I should. Suffice to say that this hill is the highest vantage point in the coastal town of Bandar Penawar so go figure. The proprietors are particularly proud of this offering because of the fact that they design, build and maintain the singletrack.

As for lodging, they have chalets or camp site if you like to rough it out (rental tents available) but if you still can't part ways with creature comforts, they can arrange rooms at the nearby Desaru Resort.

If you are considering a reunion or team building exercise for your company, give Desaru Adventures a shot. These guys can propose a suitable programme, organise and manage it, encompassing the abovementioned agenda and more.

Just so you know, the proprietors are husband and wife and they run the show assisted by their children and close relatives. It's all in the family.